Container reclosure



Nov. 9, 1943. G, E EQKMAN conumER REcLosURE Filedurn 16, 1959 or dispensing liquids from cans.

Vproducing apreferred opening is disclosed in -Patented Nov. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER RECLOSURE vGeorge E. Eckman, New Milford, N. J., assigner to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey v Application Maren 1s, 1939, serial 10.262295 s claims. (cl. 22o-24) United States Patent No. 1,996,551 on Container openerlrissued April 2, 1935 to De Witt F. Sampson and John M. Hothersall.

An 'object of the present invention isthe provision of a press-on reclosure for temporarily sealing a dispensing opening of the type produced in a can by cutting inwardly a section of the can wall and bending the cut section in the direction of an adjacent wall, such sealing being accomplished by engagement of the reclosure over the rim of the can and by pressing inwardly a locking pin adjacent and into engagement with the inner depending flange of the double seamed rim" to hermetically seal the opening.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a press-on reclosure for temporarily sealing a dispersing opening formed in round, square, noncircular or irregular shaped cans by use of an elastic pad engaging the lcan wall around. the

opening with means on the elastic pad to fric-- tionallysecure the pad to the reclosure without the use of rivets or adhesives.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better under--l stood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing: Figure' 1 is a plan or top view of a press-on reclosure member embodying the instant invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a can which has been opened adjacent the rim formed by its double seam upon which the present reclosure device may be readily attached, the can being drawn to a smaller scale relative to that of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is `a. side view of the upper portion of a. can showing the reclosure member of Fig. 1 in reclosing position on the can and drawn to th same scale as that gure; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line II-I in Fig; 3 and showing part of the reclosure member' in side elevation.

In order to disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention and its manner of use, Fig. 2 of the drawingillustrates a sheet metal can II which has its top wall cut through in an irregular shaped dispensing opening I2. It is such an i opening that is temporarily and hermetically sealed by a press-on reclosure broadly designatedby the numeral I3. The opening I2 may be cut in a top end I4 `of the can adjacent a double seam or rim I5 which unites the can top to the can body. This seam or rim provides a suitable fulcrum for pivotal engagement of the container opener during cutting of the dispensing opening.

The can opening I2 may have any desired shape I andy in the present instance it is triangular, having raw diverging and exposed edges I6 produced by the cutting away of a section I1 (Fig. 4) of the can end. The cut away section I1 is bent inwardly during the cutting operation and this bending action leaves a smooth edge I8 along the base of the triangular opening'.

The reclosure I3 preferably comprises a plate member formed with an enlarged `substantially circular portion I9 (Figs. 1 and 4) and a depending arm 20 ,adapted to extend down adjacent the side of the container ,when in reclosing position. Arm 20 is formed with a curved or arched section 2i. a spring material and the shape creates a degree of resiliency to the depending arm eiective when the reclosure is locked in sealing position which imparts uniform distribution of pressure to the enlarged part i9 o the plate member and also to an elasticv or resilient pad 22 secured thereto.

'I'he elastic pad 22 may be made of a yielding material such as rubber or the like and is preferably united with the enlarged portion I9 without the use of rivets or adhesives. A centrally disposed raised knob 23 formed to project above the pad is of a, dimension to permit its insertion into an opening 24 cut`throug'h the plate member. When inserted the protruding part of the pad expands sumciently to tightly grip the edge of the opening and overhang the plate member "22 and restricts the sealing area of the pad on the can end surrounding the opening I2 to a This curved section is preferably formed of minimum. This provides a more eective seal and affords more resiliency to the elastic pad.

The reclosure member I3 is initially engaged on the container rim or seam by means of two inwardly offset hook members 26 formed as an integral part of the depending arm 2U where it joins with the enlarged. portion I9. An intermediate struck out section 21 is bent upward and inward forming a. support bracket 28 for a locking pin. Such a pin comprises a lower locking tail section 29, an intermediate stem 30 and an enlarged upper head 3l. The tail section 29 slides through an opening formed in the plate member I9 and the stem has a similar movement in an opening cut through the bracket 28.

The reclosure is attached to the opened can by placing its elastic pad over the opening with the arm 20 extending down adjacent the can body wall. Preparatory to doing this the lock tail section 29 is raised to its upper position relative to the plate member I9 by lifting the head 3| and holding it in raised position. Simultaneously with this action the plate member I9 with its elastic'pad is pressed down on the'can top. The arm 20 is forced against the body to react against the resiliency of the curved section 2l and to snap the hook members 26 into engagement y, under the rim of the double seam I5.

With the reclosure set in this position the head 3I of the locking pin is pressed down thereby sliding the tail of the pin into locking engagement against the inner rim wall 33 of the double seam I5, thereby securely attaching the reclosure and hermetically sealing the opened can.

The lower end of the tail pin is rounded, as illustrated in Fig, 4, to facilitate the attachment and removal of the reclosure in respect to the can. As is best shown in Fig. 4, the adjacent side of the descending pin preferably engages the wall of the elastic pad and this resulting added pressure against the pin tends to hold it more securely in locked position. When the pin is in its normal raised position prior to the reclosurebeing attached, this close proximity of the walls of the pad and of the pin tend to hold the latter up and out of locking position.

To remove the reclosure from the can, the head 3| of the locking pin is engaged by the iingers and the pin is raised until a shoulder 34 on the pin strikes the under side of bracket 28 as a stop. 'I'he lock tail section is then out of contact with the inner rim and the reclosure may be easily lifted from the can.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificingall of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A reclosure device for sealing an opening cut in the end of a seamed container, comprising a plate member including as a rigid part thereof an angularly extending arm having resilient pressure engagement against the container body wall, a portion of said arm adjacent said plate member having snapping engagement beneath the container seam when the reclosure device is applied to the'opened container, an elastic pad carried by said plate member for engagingthe container end wall to seal said opening by pressurev exerted by the outer portion of said angularly extending arm against the container body wall,

and means movably mounted on said.. device and movable relative thereto into frictional'engagev ment between said pad and the container seam opposite to said arm portion for securely holding said device in position on the container with said elastic pad in sealing engagement with said opening.

2. A reclosure device for sealing an opening cut in the end 'of a seamed sheet metal container, comprising a plate member including as a rigid extension thereof an integral angularly extending elongated arm having resilient pressure engagement against the container bodywall, a portion of said arm adjacent said plate memberbeing oiset inwardly for snapping engagement beneath the container seam when the reclosure ydevice is applied to the opened containelfffan elastic pad carried by said plate member "for engaging the container end Wall to seal said` opening by pressure exerted by the outer portion of said angu,y

3. A reclosure device for sealing an opening in e the end of a seamed sheet metal container, comprising a plate member including as a rigid depending extension thereof an integrally formedv angularly extending elongated curved spring arm .designed for resilient pressure engagement against the container body wall, a portion of said arm adjacent its juncture with said plate member being struck out and extended in the reverse direction and inwardly of the arm to constitute a supporting bracket, portions of said arm adjacent said struck out portion being offset inwardly for snapping engagement beneath the .container seam when the reclosure device is applied to the open container, an elastic pad secured centrally of said plate member and having a portion of the same extending through the plate in resilient engagement therewith, said padengaging the container end wall to seal the opening by pressure lexerted by the outer portion of said angularly extending arm against the container body wall, and a locking pin carried by said vsupporting bracket and having its outer portion slidably mounted in said plate member, said pin being movable relative to said bracket and plate into and out of frictional engagement between said elastic pad and the container seam opposite to the offset portions of said arm for securely holding the device against lateral slippage on the container with said elastic pad in sealing engagement with said opening.

GEORGE E. ECKMAN. 

